“Baystate got me in right away and Dr. Ganim put me right at ease. The whole staff was fantastic. I brought my daughter with me and they answered every question we had about my diagnosis,” says Messenger. "I feel very lucky to have had the screening test. It’s easy, quick, and painless. It’s just a scan and it saved my life. I haven’t touched another cigarette since my diagnosis."

Ganim says, in the past, patients wouldn’t find out they had lung cancer until they showed symptoms, and by that time, the cancer was already advanced.

“The LDCT screening lets us catch lung cancer earlier, and treat patients more successfully while also decreasing the likelihood of it spreading,” says Ganim. “Luckily, when I met Messenger she was in the early stages. I was able to remove a portion of her lung and she didn’t need chemotherapy or radiation."

Screening Eligibility

Talk to your health care provider about your risk for lung cancer. You may be eligible for the LDCT screening if you:

Are 55−77 and have smoked at least an average of 1 pack a day for 30 years, still smoke, or have quit within the past 15 years

Are 50−77 and currently smoke or in the past have smoked at least an average of 1 pack a day for 20 years, and have at least one other risk factor for lung cancer, not including exposure to secondhand smoke

To learn more about LDCT screening for lung cancer, including more detailed eligibility information, call 1-855-794-LUNG (5864).

Join Dr. Mohamad Khaled, neurosurgeon, Baystate Neurosurgery, for a discussion about the deep brain stimulation – a major advancement for eligible people with debilitating conditions from Parkinson's disease to obesity and addiction.